All of Us, Together
by Teyerin
Summary: Two-part drabble based on the season two opener.
1. Cameron

Disclaimer: Don't own a thing. Simple two-part drabble posted with the help and encouragement of Minarrett and McCoylover.

All of Us, Together

Cameron Hicks looked around the room, a sense of calm overcoming him. It had been too wrong for too long.

Even though Dr. Rosen was the first to retreat, it felt right to have him there, to make his appearance known in helping Gary Bell break out of his silent cocoon. That part had the ex-Marine worried, Gary's reluctance, Bill Harken's attempt to reconnect, among other things. When Dr. Rosen spoke up, familiar soft voice in an analytical tone, asking if he could try, Cameron's first thought was 'it was about time.'

Watching Rosen dial a familiar phone number while walking Gary through his routine was something hopeful for him, even as Nina Theroux snapped a cruel remark of how Gary was the same since day one. Rosen ignored her, repeating a routine that could have been his own. Rachel's quick wit didn't miss a beat, even with her long absence.

Rachel. It had been almost six months since Cameron had seen her, six months since she had walked into the office, five months since she had answered her phone or met him at the door. Rachel's new approach seemed to be 'full-steam ahead, don't dare hold her back.' Cameron loved her for that. Loved her like a sister.

Nina was far from Cameron's 'loveable' or 'likable' list. How long it would take for him to forgive her, he couldn't say. Reflecting on the last phone conversation he had with his son, Tyler, Cameron realized that the advice he shared with his son was best if followed than merely muttered.

Whether or not the warnings uttered by Dr. Rosen at the beginning were based on 'snobbish supervision' as Cameron first believed, or 'clinical caution,' didn't matter now. The relationship soared and crashed faster and harder than Cameron's marriage to Patti had – and that was saying something, he thought.

Gary's disappearance should have sparked red flags faster than it had for either Cameron or Harken. The lack of presence in the chat rooms, texts or anything from their active friend, worried him. Yet the false-belief Cameron held that Nathan Cley was going to look out for their friend had blinded Cameron for a while, allowing him to focus on and prod the one remaining team member at his side.

Bill was vanishing, courtesy of the pills he was popping. Even as the former-government men bantered back and forth about their new boss, about their broken families – personal and professional – Cameron knew there was a snap missing to the sarcastic remarks, the grumpiness, everything that made Bill, well, Bill.

If it wasn't for Bill, there was a strong chance that Cameron would have fallen into his pain-numbing ways, foregoing meetings, making things worse between Patti and him, and maybe lose his son. The two men stood alone to hold down the fort, to continue the fight even as they had begun to weaken, both fighters leaning on each other for support, only moments away from a fall.

Then again, the team was finally together. How long they could hold on would be hard to say. It felt right to have Rosen back, felt right for him to gather the scattered to help the two friends trapped inside. The team's routine was off a bit, but it was returning.

Yep, it was just like throwing a quarter.


	2. Nina

Nina

She felt trapped standing in the control room looking on at the monitors, no one to push, no way to help. The fact that Cameron stood beside her only irritated her, an irritation she turned towards Rosen's predictable spiel of powers and responsibility.

Responsibility. She snorted. If there was one thing Lee blew big time was 'responsibility.' The revealing broadcast didn't upset her the way it did Bill. It was the loss of signal after seeing him tackled by security. Imagining the worse – well, reliving the abduction and banishment for the temporary confinement at Binghamton came to mind for her. That memory resulted in one fact she held on to that kept her going:

Lee could go burn in hell.

She was fine with that thought, his irresponsibility tearing the first major wound in her being, her pain burning into a never ending anger.

"No, Dr. Rosen isn't showing him any sympathy at all," Rachel said, a hint of irritation in the young woman's voice.

Oh good, Nina thought, two peas in a pod in the 'dislike Rosen' club. Rachel's avoiding the office created the next sting, a sting that became a stab when her friend moved out, cowardly returning to 'mommy and daddy' because everything became 'too much.' something Nina didn't see.

Another blind spot that became a backstabbing gesture ripping her apart was Cameron's desertion. Nina apologized for pushing him. She had no intention of doing it deliberately – not in her mind at least. Yet the kind eyes turned cold, removing any practical reason for Nina to stay. That, along with Bill's increasing grumpiness wasn't worth leaving the house let along bothering with work.

The image of seeing Rosen burning alive tore Nina apart, worse than her being turned out by her family, given the revelation of her ability long ago. As Nina struggled to keep it together, Rachel's ability to stay calm and unearth the truth bothered and anchored the svelte woman.

Nina still couldn't rest however, not as they ran after their friends, still in the hands of the prisoners. When the van flipped, courtesy of Cameron's dead-on shot, Nina's spirits were as crushed as the van, and maybe Bill and Gary inside.

If either of those men had died, she didn't know how to react. Gary had never brought out an angry side to her.

As she watched the scene unfold, with Lee trying to be Lee – helpful, understanding, things she didn't need right now even if it was meant for Gary, she knew she couldn't, would stay much longer.

Walking back to her loft in SoHo, an empty one in terms of friendship, a cozy one in terms of treasures, Nina stopped by an art gallery, admiring the painting. To hell with it, she thought, given how uneven and unsteady the day was, she decided she deserved something delightful and beautiful.

Less than five minutes later, Nina Theroux walked off with her very own Van Gogh.


End file.
